Glossary beginning with A

Most addicts and family members seeking help or treatment, know very little in the way of unique terms and phrases connected to addiction treatment and or sobriety.
The Rehab Guide has compiled a unique addiction glossary to help those individuals learn the terms needed to understand mental health, addiction and recovery related terms.

AACi is best known as an Agency Affiliated Counselori - Must be employed by, or have an offer of employment from an agency or facility that is licensed, operated,
certified by the State, or a federally recognized Indian tribe located within the state, or a county.

Fears of Abandonmenti normally comes from a loss while in childhood, such as the loss of a parent through death or divorce. Abandonment issues can also result from inadequate physical or emotional care.
In adulthood, these early-childhood experiences result in fear of being abandoned by the significant people in one’s life.
While abandonment fear may be a normal part of being human, when the fear of abandonment is severe, frequent, and impossible to comfort, it can cause significant impairment, particularly with regard to developing healthy relationships.
Also check out Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)i on how it relates to Abandonment

Abstinencei is generally a complete and total avoidance of an activity such as alcohol, drugs, smoking, or gambling. It is commonly used as a strategy for avoiding problem or dangerous addictive behaviors.
The 12-step model used by Alcoholics Anonymousi and similar support groups advocates total abstinence from addictive substances.
​This is because many researchers believe even a single exposure to an addictive substance can trigger addictive behavior in someone with a substance abuse problem.

Affirmationsi are carefully constructed statements and phrases, that are commonly understood as a tool for positive thinking, though they can be either positive or negative.
With affirmations we can tell ourselves positive things that can have a significant impact on our life and experience. Negative words and thoughts will contribute to negative emotions and experiences, while positive ones will influence positive feelings and improve you life.

Art Therapyi focus on the art-making process as therapeutic in and of itself "art as therapy" and it can be “art in therapy” (art psychotherapy). The setting looks like a craft class, but art therapy is a serious technique that uses the creative process to help improve the mental health of clients. Art therapy can be used on children and adults to treat a wide range of emotional issues, including anxiety, depression, family and relationship problems, abuse and domestic violence, and trauma and loss. Commonly found in hospitals and community centers, art therapy programs are based on the belief that the creative process is healing and life-enhancing. As they paint or draw, a skilled therapist can use the client's works of art and their approach to the process as springboards to help them gain personal insight, improve their judgment, cope with stress, and work through traumatic experiences.

Abstinencei of Drug or Alcohol relates to recovery from chemical dependence. This means that the person must not use alcohol, drugs, or any mind-altering substance at all. as a rule cigarettes are not included in this definition of sobriety.
Achieving abstinence or total sobriety does not mean that the person has eliminated the addiction. Problems may continue to exist in the way the chemically dependent person deals with life issues. Professional treatment for chemical dependency helps the individual learn to prevent relapse and to understand the nature of the disease.

Acidi is slang for LSDi (lysergic acid diethylamide),widely abused psychomimetic derived from lysergic acid. this synthetic (man-made) drug has been abused for its hallucinogenic properties since the early 1960s.

"Addictioni" is an impulsive desire to use habitual substances it is part of the entire process and ongoing event ranging from overeating to regularly having to drink alcohol or use drugs of developing and maintaining a physiological and/or psychological dependence upon an action that is usually harmful and very difficult to stop, and often it is underscored or occurs concurrently with other mental illnesses such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder.

An "Addictioni Assessment" is often used to examine addiction concerns ranging from prevention to relapse, offering effective intervention techniques and assessment tools to ensure delivery of the best possible service to clients who represent a variety of populations and mental health issues.

Often used to examine addiction concerns ranging from prevention to relapse, offering effective intervention techniques and assessment tools to ensure delivery of the best possible service to clients who represent a variety of populations and mental health issues.

is the act of getting treated or when one person helps another to limit or end their use of a particular substance, which often times leads to sobriety. as in correcting the defect of addiction itself by way of attending a treatment center or rehabilitation center to break the habit at the root of the addiction.

A physician who is board-eligible or certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicinei in the field of addiction medicine, usually specializing in the areas of drug and alcohol abuse. Diagnosing and managing patients with addiction.

"Addictivei" can apply to the degree to which something has the potential to get someone addicted. For example, crack cocaine and opiates are extremely addictive drug. Using Social network, smoking or playing video games can be addictive as well.

An addictive personality is a persona trait, or set of traits, that develops in response to habit-forming substances behaviors in a compulsive and habitual manner or practice in an attempt to cope with psychic pain engendered by conflict and anxiety

"The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope, in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness, and that changed attitudes can aid recovery." "Al-Anon is not allied with any sect, denomination, political entity, organization, or institution; does not engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any cause. There are no dues for membership. Al-Anon is self-supporting through its own voluntary contributions." "Al-Anon has but one purpose: to help families of alcoholics. We do this by practicing the Twelve Stepsi, by welcoming and giving comfort to families of alcoholics, and by giving understanding and encouragement to the alcoholic." "Help is here for the asking. Please take a moment to ask yourself these questions: "Are you troubled by someone's drinking?" or "did you grow up with a problem drinker?" If you identify with some of these statements, it is important to know that help and hope for friends and families of alcoholics is just a phone call away."

Al-Ateen is one of the Al-Anon fellowship family of groups. "The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope, in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness, and that changed attitudes can aid recovery. "Al-Anon is not allied with any sect, denomination, political entity, organization, or institution; does not engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any cause. There are no dues for membership. Al-Anon is self-supporting through its own voluntary contributions. "Al-Anon has but one purpose: to help families of alcoholics. We do this by practicing the Twelve Stepsi, by welcoming and giving comfort to families of alcoholics, and by giving understanding and encouragement to the alcoholic. "Help is here for the asking. Please take a moment to ask yourself these questions: "Are you troubled by someone's drinking?" or "Did you grow up with a problem drinker?" If you identify with some of these statements, it is important to know that help and hope for friends and families of alcoholics is just a phone call away."

Some people enjoy a social drink without it leading to an addiction. While for some people developed a more serious problem with alcohol ands often times may shy away from thinking of themselves as addicts nor alcoholics. They think that since, alcohol is a legal substance and readily available to adults. It OK and acceptable .

Now Just waht is Alcohol Addictioni?
The line between having a few drinks as part of a social experience and having an addiction to alcoholic beverages comes down to whether drinking is something you "have" to do as opposed to something that you "want" to do. A person who enjoys a drink controls their consumption and in the case of an alcoholic, the drinking controls them.

"Alcohol dependence" is defined by the American Medical Association (AMA) as "a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations.

Alcohol Liver Diseasei is a major cause of illness and death. Fatty liver, the most common form, Fatty liver can occur after drinking moderate or large amounts of alcohol.
It can even occur after a short period of heavy drinking is reversible with abstinence.
More serious ALD includes alcoholic hepatitis, characterized by persistent inflammation of the liver, and cirrhosis, characterized by progressive scarring of liver tissue. Either condition can be fatal.

Alcohol Poisoningi is a condition in which a toxic amount of alcohol has been consumed, usually in a short period of time. The toxicity is related to the blood level of the alcohol content.
Symptoms of alcohol poisoning. These can include vomiting, coughing up blood, gasping for breath, passing out, and seizures.
Call a doctor right away

"Alcohol treatment centers" are places that treat people for alcohol addiction or alcoholism.
These are differentiated from detox facilities, which simply medically supervise your stopping drinking. A Alcohol treatment center is generally recognized as attempting to treat the whole person, not just the body, in an effort to help that person stop thinking the “old” way which led to alcohol dependence , and begin thinking anew.

Alcoholics Anonymousi is for people who want to recover from alcoholism via a twelve-step program "Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recovery from alcoholism. "The only requirement for membership of A.A.i is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; A.A is self-supporting through members own contributions. "A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. "The primary purpose of A.A is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety."

Amphetamine Psychosisi is a state of psychosis persisting for weeks or months after the drug has been stimulant such as amphetamine withdraw. It so closely resembles the symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia that it has been speculated that the two conditions have the same underlying chemical basis in the brain.

Anger Managementi commonly refers the uncontrolled anger that can affect many aspects of your life, including your health and relationships. It is system of psychological therapeutic techniques and exercises by which one with excessive or uncontrollable anger can control or reduce the triggers, degrees, and effects of an angered emotional state.

Anonymityi or anonymia, meaning without a name or namelessness. The state of being unknown or unacknowledged. A tradition of 12 step programs maintained by the use of first names only, in order to keep principles above personalities and to protect the identity of members.

A syndrome characterized by short attention span, forgetfulness, failure to follow through on instructions or duties, difficulty staying organized, frequently losing things, and being easily distracted.
No single diagnostic test for Attention Deficit Disorder - ADDi is available. A clinical professional must diagnose it. Certain stimulant drugs such as "Ritalin" and "Concerta" help most people with ADD.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a syndrome often characterized by hyperactivity, impassivity, fidgeting, excessive restlessness or motor activity. Other with ADHD have difficulties sustaining attention, express forgetfulness, often express failure to follow through on instructions or duties, difficulty staying organized. No single diagnostic test for ADHD is available.
A professional must diagnose it. Certain stimulant drugs such as Ritalin help some people with ADHD.